The water supply for the city of Kitshanga, Congo is cut off in clashes between DRC armed forces and the Alliance des Patriotes pour un Congo Libre et Souverain (APCLS). The violence kills tens of civilians, including a humanitarian worker, wounds hundreds of people, and displaces thousands.
A car bomb thought to be targeted at a community water supply detonates near an aqueduct. No group claims responsibility, however Colombian officials attributed it to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
A water station in Bir al-Abd town is attacked. No one is reported injured or killed. The attackers claim that the water station was built on their lands.
Employees of the private company Assam Rifles are escorting a water tanker near the Manipur-Myanmar border when they are attacked with a remotely-detonated bomb. No one is reported injured, however the water tanker is damaged.
Four water project employees are kidnapped by assailants dressed as police officers. The outcome of the kidnapping is unknown and no group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
The water well for a village in the Bay region is destroyed by an attack attributed to Al-Shabaab.
Violence breaks out in the town of Yopal, Colombia, which has been without water for nearly two years following the destruction of a water treatment plant by a landslide. Demonstrations at government offices and offices of the water company lead to injuries and arrests.
Hundreds of farmers in the town of Varzaneh, in Iran’s Isfahan province, clash with police during a protest against the government’s decision to divert water from the area to another province. Iranian media say farmers smash a pipeline carrying water from Zayanderud river to neighboring Yazd province in an effort to prevent the water transfer. Dozens are reported injured and more arrested.
An acute water shortage in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India leads to fights among locals and one death. The government expresses concern about large-scale public unrest due to a severe drought and major water shortages.
The dwindling water supply from shared mountain springs leads to growing violence between Marzouh and Qaradh, Yemen. At least six deaths occur and many more are wounded in clashes since 2000. “Wherever in Yemen you see aquifers depleting, you have the worst conflicts,” said Abdul Rahman al-Eryani, former minister for water and environment, Yemen.